X-Position: An X-Men Podcast #20- Reunion Parts 1 & 2

"You are a fool, Sinister! The most powerful mutants on Earth shall hunt you down to see Charles Xavier avenged!"   And with this 2-part season finale, another 13 episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series are in the books! On paper, it's a pretty straightforward, conventional affair, serving as a wrap-up to Professor Xavier and Magneto's exile in the Savage Land and a bookend to the season opener starring Mr. Sinister as the show's new major villain. There's a bit of questionable storytelling as well, on the basis of some circular login at its core. Sinister lured Magneto and Xavier to the Savage Land, and in turn used the latter to bait the X-Men into his clutches as well. Which would be fine enough (albeit convoluted), if not for the fact that he already successfully captured Cyclops and Jean Grey in the season premiere and dismissed the other X-Men as beneath his care or attention. And while his motives could have evolved, the plan was already in motion to send the Professor and Magneto off to the Savage Land from the first episode of the season.   Nevertheless, this finale patches over what should be a gaping plot hole through its sheer energy and commitment. What it does do well, it does very, VERY well. As a testament to the show's effectiveness in endearing its cast to the audience, several characters get big moments throughout. From Cyclops making good on his earlier threat to Sinister, to Wolverine's "Die Hard" meets "Jurassic Park" solo run through the Savage Land, to Morph's redemption after a return from (near) death, it's an impressive undertaking that all of this lands in an already stacked pair of episodes. Perhaps most memorable is Gambit and Rogue's declaration of love under less than ideal circumstances. Their first kiss manages to be powerful and convincing thanks to two seasons worth of a slow burn love story growing from mild flirtation to genuine affection, with our understanding of both characters informed by revelations about their tumultuous backstories. The climax also delivers one of the show's most fist-pumping "beat the bad guys to the beat of the theme song" action sequences, a feature that had admittedly been lacking throughout the season. Following this, there are few scenes more cathartic than seeing Sinister literally blown apart and scattered to the four winds. Even if it all doesn't quite hang together story-wise, that's pretty consistent with the comics of the era from which the season draws so much of its inspiration.   At the end of the day, this finale is here to have a good time while juggling a bevy of captivating characters in a colorful setting. Although the season as a whole is less ambitious structurally than its predecessor, with its only dedicated two-parters in the beginning, middle, and end, you'd never know it thanks to the Savage Land adventure being dispersed in the form of brief vignettes to create a sense of cohesion and serialization across the standalone episodes. It's a stroke of brilliance that avoids the production and scheduling problems of the first season, allowing the true ambition to shine in the depth of character writing. The Saturday morning sensation has now done seemingly the impossible: topping itself in terms of sophistication and quality, while becoming a well-oiled machine in the process. Where could it possibly go next??